Nevertheless, they sinned and did not believe in His wonders. Rabbi Berachiah and Rabbi Shimon ben Yosei in the name of Rabbi Meir say, "The Holy One, blessed be He, showed Jacob a ladder, and it had seventy rungs going up and down. Every fifty-two years it went up and down. Greece goes down 180, and Edom goes up higher than its boundary, and sees and is afraid."
The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him (Edom) "Do not be afraid, Jacob, My servant. Just as these fell, so will those fall." The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Jacob, "You too shall ascend." Jacob said before Him, "Master of the Universe, I am afraid I may fall."
The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, "God forbid, do not be afraid." And from where do you say that the Holy One, blessed be He, showed Jacob the Temple built, and a sword, and offerings being brought, and priests serving, and the Shechinah departing, as it is said, "And he dreamed, and behold a ladder"? There is no dream without a interpretation. Behold, this ladder is the Temple, and its top reached the heavens - these are the offerings brought, whose aroma ascends to the heavens.
And behold, angels of God are going up and down it - these are the priests who ascend and descend on the ramp, who are called angels, as it is said, "For the angel of the Lord of Hosts is he." "And behold, the Lord stood upon it" - as it is said, "I saw the Lord standing upon the altar." Rabbi Shimon ben Yosei says, "Rabbi Meir interpreted 'Nevertheless, they sinned,' and did not believe, that if they had gone up and not come down again, they would not have had to undergo the servitude that we are undergoing."